Combined letter-marker and postage-counter.



Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. LYCK.

COMBINED LETTER MARKER AND POSTAGE COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I4 .1914.

W. LYCK.

COMBINED LETTER MARKER AND POSTAGE COUNTER.

APPLlcmoN HLED MAR.14,1914.

1,180,779. Patented Apr. 25,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. LYCK.

COMBINED LETTER MARKER AND POSTAGE COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14 ,1914.

Patent-ed Apr. 25, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

fi :D

WILHELM LYCK, OF KEVELAER, GERMANY.

COMBINED LETTER-MARKER AND POSTAGE-COUNTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916.

Application i'led March 14. 1914. Serial No. 824,677.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM LYGK, a citizen of the German Empire, and residing at Kevelaer, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Combined Letter-Marker and Postage- Counter, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has reference to a device by means of which matter on which postage stamps are to be placed is first marked with a check mark showing the amount of postage, for the purpose of avoiding irregularities in the keeping of postage accounts.

The subject matter of the present invention is distinguished from the arrangements of the same kind hitherto known, firstly by the fact that the device for making the check marks, either in color, in relief, or by perforation, can be used, not for one mark only, but may be set for postage of any amount, and also by the fact that as the marking of the matter to be posted is completed, the amount of postage is added up by means of counting mechanism, whereby the total value of the stamps necessary for the marked postal matter may be read off at any moment. While in previous devices separate mechanism was necessary for marking every amount, and only the number of markings but not the separate postage amounts was registered, the present invention allows of the aflixing of any desired check mark as well as of the addition of the separate postage amounts, thus offering the advantage that, in every case, the sum total of the separate amounts may be read without any calculation.

In the accompanyingdrawings, one form of construction of the invention is shown by way of example, and Figure 1 shows a front view of the device in perspective. Fig. 2 a front view, the front wall having been removed. Fig. 3 a back view, the back wall having been removed. Fig. 4 an internal side view of the marking wheel. Fig. 5 a back view ofthe device when the back wall has been removed, the marking mechanism being nearly in its lowest position. Fig. 6 a section along I-I of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 a section along II-II of Fig. 5. Figs. 8-10 sundry details.

The device is contained in a box shaped casing 1 which is provided in front with an opening 2, through which the sum registered by the counting mechanism may be read, and at its lower edge, with a slot into which the letters or other postal matter Ato be marked with the check mark are inserted. lThe working of the device is effected by means of a vertically sliding stamp 4, which is always automatically brought back after every marking stroke into its normal position, by spiral spring 6 (Fig. 6) mounted in the interior of its hollow shaft, and resting on the fixed stop 5 of the casing 1. At the lower end of this stamp 4, an inverted U-shaped frame 8 is mounted which slides vertically in the grooves 7 (Figs. 6 and 7), and on this frame, the marking device 9, and the registering device 10, both of which are pivotally mounted on a shaft 11, are mounted.

The marking device 9 consists of a wheel shaped disk, which is provided on its circumference with a series of'stamps 12, each of which is designed to mark a certain postage amount, for instance 3, 5, 10, pf., and so on. The stamp to be used in each case, then-that is to say when the frame 8 is in its upper position, as seen in Fig. 2- rests on a stamp pad 13, carried by an arm 15, pivotally mounted on a rigid journal 14 of the case 1, which arm, when the stamp 4, and thereby the frame 8, are pressed down, is swung out backward in the well known manner, by means of a slot guide 17, acting in combination with a journal 16 of the stamp wheel 9, and thus swings clear of the downward path of the stamping device. A layer of rubber 18, fastened to the lower surface of the slot 3 serves as a cushion for the stamp in the lowest position, or for the postal matter to be marked.

The setting of the stamping wheel at the amount of postage in each case, is effected by means of an adjusting arrangement provided on the top of the casing 1, which consists of a rotatable indicator 19, and a numbered disk 20. The indicator 19 is rigidly mounted on an axle 21, on the lower end of which a cog wheel 22 is mounted. AThis cog wheel gears with a second cog wheel 23, which is connected by an axle 24, to a bevel wheel 25. The bevel wheel 25 transmits its motion to a bevel wheel 26, rigidly connected to the stamping wheel 9, so that by turning the indicator 19, the stamp wheel 9 is also turned by means of the axle 21, the cog Wheels 22, 23, .the axle 24, and the bevel dicator 19, to turn.

wheels 25, and 26, to such an extent, as a matter of fact, that the particular stamp 12 which corresponds to the amount of postage indicated on the numbered disk 20, by the indicator 19, is always in the lowest position. If therefore the stamp4, and thereby the frame 8, and the stamping device 9, mounted on this, are pressed down, this stamp, which is in the lowest position, will make a mark on the latter inserted into the slot 3, indicating the amount of postage.

In order to insure an exact adjustment of the indicator 19, and consequently of the stamping wheel 9, the cog wheels 22 and 26 are rigidly connected to notched disks 27 and 28 respectively, into the notches of which a catch spring 29, rigidly mounted on the casing 1, and a catch spring 30, mounted on the frame 8, respectively engage, in such a manner that the notched disks and thereby the cog wheels 22 and 26 are automatically adjusted in their exact positions, by the turning of the indicator 19. As the bevel wheel 25 mounted in the frame 8 undergoes a change of position relatively to the cog wheel 23, at every stroke, the axle 24 is not integral, but is made in two pieces, one of which 24, is of triangular or square section, and the other a correspondingly shaped tube 24". In the position of the frame 8 shown in Figs. 2 and 3, these two parts gear into each other in such a manner that the rotary movement of the wheel 23 is transmitted to the bevel wheel 25 in the same manner as through an integral axle, and when the frame 8 is pressed down, the parts are able to separate readily. In order to facilitate the entrance of the part 24 into the hollow part-24, the part 24 is suitably tapered.

In order to render fortuitous turning of the indicator 19 impossible, and simultaneously in order to remove the pad 13,

which prevents the turning of the stamping wheel when the indicator 19 is turned, a presser rod 31 is provided, which projects out of the casing, and which is held at normal height by a spiral spring 32, and catches in the cog wheel 22, by means of one or two ratchet `rods 33, so that when the ratchet rod is raised, it is impossible for this cog wheel, which is rigidly connected to the in- If the adjustment of the device is to be changed, the presser rod 31 must first be pressed down, whereby the cog wheel 22 is lirst of all released by the ratchet rods 33, and the frame 8 is simultaneously slightly pressed down by the lower end of the ratchet rod; the result of this being that the arm 15, which carries the pad, is slightly removed from the stamp wheel 9 by the action of the slot guide 17. The adjustment can now be made, after which the ratchet rods 33, of the, Dresser .fred 31, again lock-the cog` whee1i22.

:.--shaped--eolumnlZ-is provided.-Witlrl a-number. 1

In order that the indicator 19, and consequently the stamping wheel 9, may not be set in an intermediate position, as a result of negligence, additional ratchet gear must also be provided, which prevents the stamp 4 being depressed, and thereby sto s all the working of the machine, when t e indicator 19 is inaccurately set. This device is seen in Figs. 3, 5, 6 and 9, and consists principally of a lever 35, pivotally mounted in a lug 34 on the casing 1, one end of which is subjected to the action of a spiral spring 36, while the other finger-shaped end butts against the under surface of the ratchet disk 27, which is rigidly connected to the cog wheel 22. IVhen the indicator 19 is accurately set at one of the amounts marked on the numbered disk 20, the notched disk 27 is in such a position that the finger-shaped end of the lever 35 rests in one of its notches. The lever 35 then comes into contact with the slanting lip of a rod 39 which is subjected to the action of a spring 39 and slidingly mounted in guides 38 of the casing 1, which rod normally, that is, when the device is at rest, gears at its end in the slot 40 of the stamp 4, and thus by its position renders it impossible to depress the stamp. Now if the 1ever 35 comes into contact with the lip 37 of the rod 39 in the manner described, the ratchet rod will be drawn out of the slot 40 of the stamp 4, thus allowing the stamp 4 to be depressed, and the whole device to be worked. As already mentioned, this rinteraction of the lever 35 with the lip 37 of the rod 39 is only possible if the indicator 19 is set to one of the postage amounts on the graduated disk with sutlicient accuracy to allow the finger-shaped end of the 1 lever 35 to drop into one of the notches of the notched disk'27. If this is not the j case, instead of dropping into a notch, the finger-shaped end of the lever 35 butts against the under surface of the notched 1 disk 27, and is thus prevented from coming into contact with the slanting lip 37 of l the ratchet lever 39. When the device is at rest, the lever 35 is drawn, by means of a stop 41 on the frame 8, in an opposite direction to that of the action of a spiral spring 36, away from the notched disk 27, in order to allow of adjusting the indicator 19.

The turning of the indicator 19 gives a 1 corresponding turn not only to the stamping wheel `9, but simultaneously to a prismshaped column 42 which is firmly connected to the axle 21 of the indicator 19, by a exible axle 43. This prism-shaped column 42 1 is mounted in a swinging frame 44, which iS pivotally mounted on a shaft 45 of the casing 1, and is normally held in a vertical position by a spiral spring 46. The prismof racks 47, the number of teeth of which varies with the postage amount. These racks 47 may gear separately, or in twos, with two cog wheels 48, which are loosely mounted on the shaft 11 of the frame 8, and are rigidly connected to the numbered disks 49 and 50 respectively, one of which, the disk 49, is the units disk, and the other, the disk 50, is the tens disk, of the calculating mechanism 10. According to the setting of the indicator 19, the prism-shaped column 42 is thus turned in such a manner that if the postage amount is 8, or pf., for instance, a rack 47, having 3 or 5 teeth, gears with the cog wheel 48 of the units disk 49, while when the postage amount is 10, 20, or pf., for instance, a rack having 1, 2, or 3 cogs gears with the cog wheel 48 of the tens disk 50.

In order that when the prism-shaped column 42 is not quite accurately set, or when the racks 47 have become slightly worn, square gearing of the racks in the cog wheels 48 may be secured, a thin disk 48 (Fig. 2) is arranged between these two wheels 48, which catches, before and during the interaction of the racks 47 with the wheels 48, in longitudinal grooves 48 which are widened at their lower ends, and thus alwaysinsure square gearing of the racks 47 with the wheels 48.

For the purpose of adding, of course, the interaction of the racks 47 with the cog wheels 48 must only occur once during the process embracing the depression and rise of the frame 8, and here it occurs during the return motion of the stamping device, that is, after the letter has been marked. For this purpose, when the stamp 4 is depressed, the swinging frame 44 is moved out of the vertical position as seen in Figs. 6 and 7, by an automatic device which will be described later, whereby the prism-shaped column 42 is brought clear of the cog wheels 48, remaining connected to the indicator 19, howevendue to the flexibility of its axle 43. The cog wheels mounted on the shaft 11 of the frame 8 can therefore move downward with the remaining parts of the stamping device, without rolling down the racks 47. As soon as the letter has been marked, however, the swinging frame 44 automatically swings back into its vertical position, so that the racks 47 are now in the path of the cog wheels 48. If therefore when the pressure on the stamp 4 is relaxed, the stamping device returns to its normal position, the cog wheels will roll along the racks 47, and to a greater or lesser extent according to the number of teeth of the rack adjusted. The revolution of the units disk is transmitted to the tens disk 50 in the well known manner by a lip 51, a cog wheel 52, a shaft 53, anda cog wheel 54, and the revolution of the tens disk is transmitted in the well known manner to the adding mechanism, 10. Two pawls prevent the cog wheels 48 from turning backward.

The device for swinging out the swinging frame 44 consists mainly of a curved guide 56, rigidly connected to the swinging frame, which lies in the path of a roller 57, mounted on the frame 8, when the swinging frame is in a vertical position. Vhen the stamping device is depressed, this roller 57 there fore comes into Contact with the back of the guide 56, and presses this and the swinging frame 44 attached to it, out of their normal position (Fig. 6). As soon, however, as the roller 57 has passed beyond the lower end of the guide 56, this guide slips off the roller 57 and returns to its normal position with the swinging frame 44. As the roller 57 must not of course again enter into contact with the back of the guide in the return motion, it is mounted on an arm 59, which is normally drawn back by a spiral spring 58 and which can be moved without being turned in the direction of the arrow 61 by means of a slide (Fig. 8). As a result of this slidable mounting, when the stamping device returns to its normal position, the roller 57 is lifted clear of the guide 56 by a rod 62, parallel to the shaft of 57, sliding on the side of the guide opposite to the arm 59. In order to prevent a repetition of the marking without registration of the postage amount, this side of the guide is provided with teeth 63, over which the rod 62 is able to slide upward, but not downward. If

marking is attempted before the return to the initial position, the frame 8 will catch, with its rods 62, in the guide 56. The device must therefore return to the initial position after every marking, and registration of the amount marked, before a second stamping can be effected.

In order to prevent any undue turning of the number wheel 9, by means of an object inserted in the opening 8, the stamping disk is provided on its inner side with horizontal rods 64, which take up a position between rods 65 provided on the bottom of the casing, when the frame 8 is depressed, and thereby prevent any undue turning of the number wheel 9.

I claim:

1. In a letter marker of the character described, the combination of a marker with an indicator, two ratchet wheels on the shaft of said marker, a guiding disk between both, a prism shaped column connected to said indicator and provided with grooves widening at their lower ends for the reception of said disk of the marker, a plurality of racks upon said column meshing with said ratchet wheels and means for constantly insuring a square grip of said racks into said ratchet wheels.

2. In a letter marker of the character described, the combination of a marker with an indicator, two ratchet wheels on the shaft of said marker, a guiding disk between both, a prism shaped column, a swinging frame in which said column is mounted, and a flexible shaft for connecting said column to said indicator, said column being provided with grooves widened at their lower ends Jfor the reception of said disk of the marker, and a plurality of racks upon said column meshing with said ratchet wheels and means for constantly insuring a. square grip of said racks into the ratchet wheels. l

3. In a letter marker of the character described, the combination of a letter` marking device mounted in a vertically sliding frame, with an indicato-r, a prism shaped column connected to said indicator adapted to turn with the same, a swinging frame in which .said column is mounted, a rigid curved guide mounted on said swinging frame, and a roller mounted on said vertically7 sliding `trame of the marker cooperating with said guide for effecting the oscillation of said swinging frame.

4l. In a letter marker of the character described, comprising a casing, the combination o't' a letter marking device mounted in a vertically sliding frame with an indicator upon the outside of the casing for said letter marker, a prism shaped column connected to said indicator, a swinging frame in which said column is mounted, a rigid curved guide mounted on said swinging frame, a roller mounted on an arm upon said vertically sliding frame of the marker cooperating with said guide for eifecting the oscillation of said swinging frame, and a spring coiled around the arm carrying said roller for normally drawing said arm back and for allowing a return of the swinging frame into its normal position without interference by said roller.

5. In a letter marker of the character described, comprising a casing, the combination of a letter marking device mounted in a vertically sliding frame with an indicator upon the outside of the casing for said letter marker, a prism shaped column connected to said indicator, a swinging frame in which said column is mounted, a rigid curved guide mounted on said swinging frame, and having a toothed underside, a roller mounted on said vertically sliding frame of the marker, an arm carrying said roller, a rod mounted on said arm adapted to slide over the teeth on the underside of said curved guide for preventing a repetition of the marking without actuation of the indicator, substantially as described.

6. In a letter marker of the character de,- scribed, the combination of a letter marking device mounted in a vertically sliding frame with an indicator, said marking device comprising a vertically sliding stem provided with a slot, a ratchet rod adapted to be dropped into said slot for stopping the operation of the stem when the indicator is inaccurately set, a-slanting lip on said rod and a lever acting against said lip for preventing said rod to drop into said slot when the indicator is properly adjusted, substany tially as described.

7 In a letter marker of the character de-` scribed, the combination of a letter marking device mounted in a vertically sliding frame` with an indicator, a casing for both devices, having a slot near its lower edge for the introduction of the letter to be marked, vertical rods at the inner end of said slot and horizontal rods at the inner side of the marki ing device, said horizontal rods of tho marker taking a position between said vertical rods upon the depression of the frame for preventing undue operation of the marking device, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I alix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILHELM LYCK.

Witnesses WoLnnMAn HAUPT, HENRY HAsrEn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti. Washington, D. C." 

